Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/226

220 San Jose, and several other large buildings of note, such as the Guadaloupa Church, on the heights, Quartel of San Jose, City Hall, Fort Loretto.

It once contained a large free school for poor Indian children, but it has since been converted into a nunnery or convent.

From Vera Cruz to Puebla there are two roads, one the Orazaba Road, which leads through Cordova and Tlasculla. Cordova is where the renowned coffee grows. The other road, which we took, leads through Jalapa, Perote and other small towns.

Jalapa derives its name from a drug plant called jalapa, which grows very abundant in this section of the country. It is also renowned for the splendid view of the snow-covered volcano Orazaba.

Puebla is, I believe, the largest city between Vera Cruz and the capital of Mexico, and is second in political and commercial importance in Mexico. It has a splendid, large Cathedral, the father over all the churches in this city. It is truly a magnificent building, built in 1649 of free stones, and takes up a whole square of ground. It has a high steeple, from it is a splendid view of the historic volcano mountain Orazaba, Popocatepetl and Malinche.

The inside of this great Cathedral I shall not attempt to describe, but just give a little idea. The pillars are covered with crimson and velvet. The floor is of large white and blue marble flag stones. The altar is the greatest piece of work I have ever seen, richly ornamented with gold, silver and precious stones.

The chandelier, weighing several tons, depending from the dome, has five hundred wax lights, and the gold is valued at $25,000. And I am informed by the Mexicans that this is the greatest and strictest church in all Mexico.

There is a certain time in the day when the church bell of this cathedral rings, most all its people, it matters not where they are, tumble down on their knees and go through religious signs.